Drone A-10 Coming

[Phantom88]

MANASSAS, VA (Released by Aurora Flight Sciences)

 

Manassas, VA, February 16, 2012 – Aurora Flight Sciences today announced its selection by Raytheon Corporation (NYSE:RTN) as a team member for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) program.

Raytheon's PCAS solution aims to develop technologies that significantly reduce the timeline for close air support through improved coordination among Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs), airborne sensors and weapon systems. Aurora will be the air vehicle platform lead and will be responsible for leveraging its extensive unmanned systems technology to develop an unmanned version of the Air Force’s A-10 aircraft for demonstrating the PCAS technology.

“Aurora’s selection by Raytheon to develop critical air vehicle technologies for the DARPA PCAS program is a major step in our relationship which began with the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) and Loiter Attack Missile (LAM) programs in the 1990s,” said John Langford, Aurora’s President and CEO. “We are looking forward to working closely with Raytheon on a wide range of unmanned systems technologies in the future.”

Raytheon’s PCAS team members also include Rockwell Collins and GE Aviation. PCAS will incorporate a ‘system-of-systems’ approach to demonstrate the ability to digitally task a Close Air Support (CAS) platform from the ground. Raytheon will use an open architecture approach to enable the PCAS technology to be utilized in future command and control systems.

About Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences designs and builds robotic aircraft and other advanced aerospace vehicles for scientific and military applications. Aurora is headquartered in Manassas, VA and operates production plants in Bridgeport, WV and Columbus, MS and a Research and Development Center in Cambridge, MA. To view recent press releases and more about Aurora please visit our web site at http://www.aurora.aero.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

[Emmer]

Maybe something similar to this?

 

 

Ok, on a larger scale of course............:thumbup: